Cooling system for liquid cooled internal-combustion engines



April 3, 1951 L. P. TRAXEL 2,547,422

COOLING sys'pm FOR LIQUID coouszn INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed July 14, 1948 Patented Apr. 3, 1951 OFFICE COOLING SYSTEM FOR LIQUID COOLED INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Leonard P. Traxel, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 14, 1948, Serial No. 38,621

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in cooling systems for liquid cooled internal combustion engines and refers particularly to a device employable with the usual internal combustion engine radiator for diverting heated fluid from a hotter portion of the radiator to a position in front of the radiator and employing the heat radiated and/r conducted therefrom to heat a colder portion of the radiator under certain conditions of operation of the engine.

The function and operation of the usual radiator of a liquid cooled internal combustion engine is well known as is also the usual circulating system for the liquid coolant in the conventional internal combustion engine. In general, the radiator comprises essentially a heat exchanger wherein heated coolant from the engine jacket is passed to the top of the radiator and passes downwardly through the radiator wherein the liquid is cooled by the passage of air through the honeycomb tubes of the radiator, the air being inducted through the honeycomb cells by a mechanically operated fan. The cooled liquid is then drawn from the bottom of the radiator and passed, usually by a pump, to the jacket of the engine to maintain the engine at a desired operating temperature.

In cold weather, if water is used as the coolant there is a likelihood of the water freezing in the cooling system if the ambient temperature is below freezing. When the cooling system is frozen, the frozen liquid in the water jacket of the engine is quickly thawed by operation of the en ine. However, the radiator, being remote from the high temperatures of the engine remains frozen and, hence, circulation of the water is prevented. In a short period of engine operation under these conditions the water in the engine jacket boils and the hot vapors escape through the usual overflow pipe provided at the top of the radiator. After a short period of operation the jacket water all boils off and the temperature of the engine soars to dangerous heights, eventually destroying the engine if the operation is continued. Paradoxically, all through this operation the remaining portion of the cooling system, the radiator, remains frozen preventing circulation of the water.

In some instances, even during normal operation of the engine, when a sudden drop in atmospheric temperature occurs, the water in the radiator may freeze while the engine is operating leading to a condition similar to that hereinbefore described.

As a feature of my invention I provide means shown) of the conventional type.

for utilizing the high temperature vapors or steam generated in the engine jacket, by conduc-- tion, convection and/or radiation, to impart sufficient heat to the colder portions of the cooling system to prevent the water therein from freezing and, hence, proper circulation of the coolant through the entire system is maintained.

Broadly, my invention contemplates connecting a secondary heat exchange device to the top of the usual radiator, using this device as the radiator overflow and, in addition, positioning the device in a relationship with the colder portions of the radiator such as to transfer the heat from the vapors passing through said overflow to the water in the colder portions of the radiator.

The objects and advantages of my invention will be more apparent from the accompanying drawing and following detailed description,

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a conventional radiator, parts of the 0verflow heat exchanger being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the radiator, a fragmentary portion of the internal combustion engine being shown.

Referring in detail to the drawing, l indicates a fragmentary portion of an internal combustion engine of the liquid-cooled type. A radiator 2 is employed with the engine I and is illustrated as the type having the usual honeycomb cells or tubes 3. A cooling water outlet l connects into the upper portion of the jacket of the engine, said outlet being connected to a nipple 5 at the upper portion of the radiator 2 by a flexible conduit 6.

A discharge nipple 1 connects into the lower portion of the radiator 2, said nipple being connected by flexible conduit 8 to a water pump (not As is Well known, the discharge side of the water pump connects into the lower portion of the engine jacket and, hence, a circuit for the passage of liquid to and from the engine to the radiator is formed.

A fan 9, driven by belt I9 is mounted upon the engine block between the engine and the honeycombed portion of the radiator, said fan, when driven, acting to draw air through the radiator to cool the liquid circulated therethrough.

In the usual radiator construction an overflow pipe open to the atmosphere is connectedinto the upper portion of the radiator so as to prevent the establishment of superatmospheric pressure in the radiator and cooling system generally when excessive'vaporization of the liquid coolant may occur; For convenience, such pipes were disposed behind heradiator, thatis; on the engine side.

' top of the radiator, preferably, of course, above or at the normal liquid level in ther radiation;

The pipe H is connected to a heade g; 13ft!)- which one or more heat-transferring. discharge pipes M are connected, said pipes beingopen tothe atmosphere at their opposite,endswhichare disposed adjacent the bottom of the radiator. Suitable bracket means 15 may be employed tosupport the pipes [4.

As. a feature of my invention the pipes. IA are. disposed in heat conductive. relationship tothe front portion of thev radiator whereby. the. air induced by the fan Spasses over said: pipes beforev passing through the cell-portion 3 of: the radia; tor. In this manner heat which may be. given off by the pipes [4 may be transferredv to the liquid in the radiator.

The pipes l4 maybe mounted inspaced re1 a. tionship to the front of the-radiator in which case. heat will be derived. therefrom and passed to the radiator by convection, thateis, the heat. ing of the air passing the tubes and thesubsequent transfer of such heat to the cells of the radiator, and byradiation from the pipes I4. Of course, extended surfaces, or fins, (not shown), may becarried by the pipes M in which case the heat transferwill be more efficient. I

Inasmuch as the -fundamental conceptof my invention contemplates passageof'heat from the pipes M to the liquid in the radiator, said pipes may be in heat conductive contact withffthe radiator cells wherein the transfer will; be accomplished by conduction-as Well asconvection and radiation.

The arrangement illustrated and described hereinbefore is adaptable to existing installations with only a minimum of changes-being-made in the existing structures. As a specialized itemof equipment the radiator rnaybeconstructed with the pipes or equivalent heat-transferring passages built into the radiator, the latter constituting a separate circuit for fluid from thecoolingsystem circuit proper.

In operation, when temperaturesare encountered which will tend tofreezethe cooling-liquid; of the engine, the liquid in the radiator normally freezes first and is last to thaw. Theresultzof. the liquid freezing in the radiator is to interrupt the circulation of thecooling liquid;. Hence, the coolant in the engine quickly raisesin tempera:. ture and is converted into steam which-passes upwardly through conduit 6. to the top..of. the radiator. Heretoforethe steam thus entering the radiator merely passed out through the overflow, the overflow by virtue, of itspositionalong. theinside of the radiator. accomplishinginoifunction otherv than to relieve the. system von thesteam pressure.

In my invention, thehot steam heatsthe pipes ltwhich, being disposed in front of-theradiator, permit the heattherefrom. to betransferredby the.fan.9:to-the.frozen radiator. Inthis manner automobiles, for instance, with frozen radiatiors can beoperated for anindefinite period-of tim'e- Without causing serious overheating, merely by replenishing the liquid lost in steam. In addition, there will be no tendency for the radiator to freeze while the engine is in operation since such a tendency would be accompanied by interruption of circulation of the coolant and hence steam would soon thaw the freezing radiator and permit circulation to be resumed.

In view of the fact that water can be used asthe coolant even below freezing temperatures without causing serious overheating, as long as the engine is running and the Water lost in steam is; replenished, forexcessively low temperatures a. ;1es se1 amount of anti-freezing material may be used so long as the engine when not in operation is in an atmosphere of not too low a tempera- Ul a I claim as my invention:

1". Ina cooling system for a liquid cooled internal combustion engine having a radiator for liquidc'oolant, a fanpositioned behindtsaid: radiator to induce air-through said radiator, a con-j duit connecting the; upper portion of the engine. and the upper portion of the radiator, and aconduit connecting the lower portion ofthe en.-..

relationship with said radiatoradjacent the. front portion thereof, said heat-radiating pipes being open to theatmosphere. at their ends,

2, In a ceclingsystem for a liquid cooled; internal combustion engine. having aradiator for liquid coolant, a fanuposi ioned behind said radiator to induce; air. through said radiator, a conduit connecting theupperportion of the en-. glue and. the upper portion of the. radiator, and a. conduit connecting the lower portionof thev engine and the-lower portion of the radiator,- an. overflow pipe connected into the upper portion of theradiator, a header. connected to said onerflow pipe, a plurality of conduits connected to said header, said: last mentioned conduits being in heat conductive relationship with thefront portion of the radiator andbeingopen to the atmosphere at their ends.

3; Ina cooling systemfor-a liquid cooled internal combustionengine having a radiator for liquid'coolant, a fan positioned behind; said radiatorto induce air through said radiator, a conduit connecting the upper-portion of: the eng ine andthe upperportion of the radiator, and a conduit connecting the lower portion of the engine and the lowerportion of the-radiator, an overflow pipe connected into the upper portion of the radiator, a header connected to said overflow pipe, a plurality of conduits connected to said header, said last mentionedconduits-being in heat-conductive relationship with the front portion of the radiator and in the path of the air drawn through the radiator by the fan, said conduits being open to the atmosphere at their ends,

4. In a cooling system for a liquid cooled in; ternal combustion engine having a radiator for liquid coolant, a, fan positioned, behind said radiator to induce air through said radiator, a conduit connecting the upper portion of the engineand theupper portion of-the radiator, and a conduit connecting the lower portion of the engine and the lower portion of the radiator,

76 an overflow pipe connected into-the upper por- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Cobe Nov. 23, 1920 Renouf Oct. 3, 1922 Dillard Nov. 21, 1922 Carillon Dec. 25, 1923 Innes Oct. 13, 1925 Triska May 10, 1927 

